Automatic gear shifter for automobile transmissions



Sept. 24, 1935. A. LAZZQARINI AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTER FOR- AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSIONS Filed Jan. 7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l HVVFNTOR Sept. 24, 1935.

I IV//////////// //////////////////////////////A,//////////A A. LAZZARINI 2,015,116

AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTER FOR AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSIONS Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I/III mmmx INVENTOR:

Sept. 24, 1935. A. LAZZARINI AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTER FOR AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSIONS Filed Jan. 7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5- W/ RM ir 11V VENT OR I 44 Sept. 24, 1935. A. LAZZARlNl AUTOHATIC GEAR SHIFTER FOR AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSIONS Filed Jan. '7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mwww l/VVENTOR wmm Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC GEAR SIHFTEB- FOB AUTOMO- BILE TRANSMISSIONS Aldo Lazzarini, Flushing, N. Y.

Application January '1, 1935, Serial No. 662

15 Claims.

This invention relates to the controls of the transmission of automobiles or other self propelled vehicle, where the relative speeds of the propelling motor and the driving wheels is to be 5 varied to suit all running conditions, by effecting the shifting of the driving gears automatically instead of manually as almost generally done.

The principal object of this invention is there. fore to dispense with the operation of the manual 10 universal shifter and supplant it with corresponding automatic means while retaining the existing transmission gearing. The advantages of the well tried and satisfactory performance and ruggedness of the standard transmission gearing are 15 thus taken advantage of while doing away with the shortcomings of the manual controls which require the attention of the operator and the use of one of his arms often when both his attention and use of his limbs are most needed to the '20 purpose of steering or other driving operations.

An important advantage of this invention is also its adaptability of application to a gear shift transmission at the option of the vehicles purchaser, by simply substituting the transmission cover to which either the manual shifter or the automatic shifter here described are attached, and by including or excluding other subsidiary parts as will be hereinafter explained.

A further object of my invention is to enable 9 the operator throughthe moving of a lever to set a lock which will retain any speed 'ratio that has been last set in operation by the automatic mechanism, for an indefinite time, said lock operating in conjunction with the rigid coupling of the free-wheeling clutch. This facility is of great importance when descending a steep grade, as the operator may thus employ to advantage the pneumatic braking characteristic of a throttlechoked gasoline motor. I

The impulse for the automatic operation of my invention may be furnished by any of the many known means, like centrifugal force, fluid prezsure, air pressure, vacuum, electro-magnetic force or a combination of two or more of the same means. Any such means as may be employed will operate from the speed of the vehicle, not from the speed of the motor-shaft, as it must be the accelerating ability of the former that will determine the quantity of the impulse 5 produced by the system which is employed. The increase or decrease of such quantity to and from certain predetermined values will establish the successive selection of the speed ratios of the transmission gearing. 1

Any point of a vehicle transmission which turns in direct relation to the speed of the wheels may be chosen for connecting the impulse producing device of the type employed. The accompanying drawings illustrate the adoption of a fluid pressure gear-pump. This is what I prefer to all other means, but since it is not claimed in this patent as an invention in itself, it will merely serve as an incidental illustration.

The controlling elements which constitute this invention are designed in the particular form 10 herein described to operate automatically in conjunction with the action of a free-wheeling clutch.

Another desirablecondition for the smooth operation of this invention is that the gear transmission be provided with a synchro-mesh clutch for the intermediate and the high-speed'connections. The greatest number of standard transmissions of modern cars are provided with the above improvements.

In order to make as clear as possible the following description, may I point out that the use of the term forward or ahead indicates a movement towards the front of the vehicle on which the mechanism is imagined to be applied; the term backwards or rear-wards is a movement toward the rear of the vehicle. In all views of the drawings, the front of the mechanism is towards the left side of the onlooker. All the plan views of the drawings are taken looking upwards, since that is the best way to show the essential parts of this invention, their location being right beneath the cover of the transmission box. Therefore, the left side of said parts is towards the upper margin of the drawing, and the right towards the lower margin. In order to avoid confusion, theidentification of a side movement is referred to the arrow shown on said plan views as in the direction of the arrow. or against the direction of the arrow.

An arrangement of the parts of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view of the under face of a base-plate, which'serves as a support to most of the essential elements of this invention but which is shown devoid of the said supported elements; Fig. 2 is a view of the internal face or under side of the transmission box cover which will enclose all said elements; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the under face of the base-plate with all parts supported on such under face. This figure also shows the horizontal plan section of certain auxiliary means attached to the side wall of the gear- .box.

Fig.4 shows a transverse view of a butterfly valve for the explosive gasoline-air mixture, operated by the automatic transmission, and Fig. 4a shows a vertical section of the same butterfly valve.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the cover, base-plate, and enclosed and supported moving parts, along line Hofl 'lgs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a. section parallel to the above along line 3-6 of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a section parallel to the above along line 1-1 of Figs. 1 and 2 of a cylinder and auxiliary parts extending alongside of the transmission box. This figure also shows a broken off view of a gear pump located at the rear extremity of the free-wheeling box. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the same cylinder as taken along line 8-8 of Fig. '7 and looking upwardly. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of a fluid reservoir and Figs. 10 to are plan views similar to Fig. 3 of the positions which three essential elements of the mechanism assume when the transmission is in different speed positions.

In Fig. 1 base-plate I has an outline adapted to fit on three sides with the top opening of a gear transmission box. This base-plate extends outwardly of the gear box on the fourth side, forming a projection 2 adapted to support the cylinder shown at Fig. 7.

The cover 3 shown at Fig. 2 has exactly the same outline as base-plate I. Screws 4 and 5 will secure the base-plate to the cover. Fig. 7 shows how the base-plate will be interposed between the cover and the gear transmission box when the cover will be bolted to the latter. The dotted line 6 of Fig. 1 indicates where the edge of said box will lie under the over-extended side of the base-plate. Holes 1, U, 9, Ill, ii and i2 of both cover and base-plate will receive the bolts threaded into the top edges of gear-box 13 shown in Fig. 7. The cover 3 is provided with appropriate cavities to accommodate the various parts which will be soon described, one of said cavities being of conical shape and similar to the one accommodating the universal lever of general practice. The lever i4 is not, however, a universal lever, since its motion is limited to a straight vertical plane, any side movement being prevented by cross-pin i5. Conical spring i6 has the sole purpose of pressing the washer i1 against the bulb l8 of the lever, therefore causing an oil-tight fitting.

Guided on the under face of base-plate I are three slide-plates I9, 23 and 2! (see Fig. 3) which may slide side by side in longitudinal direction. Two track-plates 22 and 23 riveted to the baseplate hold the three slide-plates in their course by means for their ridges shown with dotted lines. The slide-plate l9 terminates at its rear extremity with a fork 24, which in the usual manner will cause the shifting of that gear of a standard transmission which provides either the reverse speed or the low speed connections besides the neutral or disengaged position. An articulate connection between the hand-lever i4 and the slide-plate I9 (see Fig. 5) is made with a linkarm 25 at the ends of which pin 26 attaches it to the lower extremity of hand-lever l4 and pin 21 attaches it to a stud 28. the later being riveted to slide-plate l9. An oblong slot 28 in either the base-plate (Fig. 2) and the track-plate 23 (Fig. 3) provides the necessary clearance to the movement of stud 28.

I'he function of hand-lever i4 is that of setting either the neutral or disengaged position, the reverse speed connection and the low speed connection, which is done manually in the usual way. Notches 30, 3i and 32 adapted to catch the ball of the spring-and-ball latch 33 will define the respective positions of slide-plate I! as that of reverse-speed when the ball is seated in notch 33, as that of neutral or disengaged condition when the ball is seated in notch 3i (Fig. 5 shows this par- 5 ticular position), and that of low speed, when the ball is seated in notch 32. The spring-and-ball latch 33 is located in an appropriate cavity of cover 3, and hole 34 (see Fig. 1) of base-plate 3 conjoinsit as to allow access of the ball to the 10 particular notch of slide-plate i9 which falls in line.

Another spring-and-ball latch indicated in Figs.

2 and 6 with the numeral 35 will similarly hold through hole 36 of the base-plate the adjacent 15 slide-plate in either one of three positions defined by notches 31, 38 and 39 indicated in Fig. 6. When the ball of this latch is seated in notch 31. the position of slide-plate 20 is that of intermediate speed, when it is seated in notch 38 the 20 position is that of neutral or disengaged condition, when it is seated in notch 38 the position of the slide-plate is that of high-speed. In between the drilled cavities holding the two spring-andball latches just described there is an oblong cav-- ity 40 (see Fig. 2) designed to hold an angular spring having the looped head set into the cavity itself and the fleeting tips resting on the cavity walls towards the opposite spring-and-ball latches. The fleeting tip on the side of latch 33 projects from cavity 40, passes through the clearance slot 4i of base-plate 3 (see Fig. 1) and is held in hole 42 of the safety lock piece 43 indicated in Fig. 3. This lock could not be seen unless the guiding track-plate 23 is removed, thence the reason of showing it with dotted lines. The seat of the locking piece is within a cross-track cut into the ridge 44 of the track-plate, thus being imprisoned between said track-plate and the base-plate with liberty of crosswise movement. The outline of the locking piece converges to a point towards slide-plate I9 and is square towards slide-plate 2%). Normally, said locking piece is held by the long tip of angular spring 40 pressed against the side edge of slide-plate [9 where a V 45 shaped notch 45 will eventually catch the pointed portion of the locking piece.

Slide-plate 20 is provided on the adjacent edge with a square notch 46 designed to let the locking piece back into it when the slide-plate I9 50 is moved and the V shaped notch 45 is shifted out of line of the locking piece.

It is clear that by the operation of locking piece 43 only one of the two slide-plates l3 and 20 may be shifted at one time and that due to the location of the notches, any of the two slide: plates may be shifted only when the other is set into the position resulting in the neutral or disengaged condition of the gear it effects. The very purpose of this lock is thus to prevent the possibility of meshing more than one couple of gears in the transmission, which, if it should acbent to form a fork 48 which will correspond to the fork ofla standard transmission that is used to operate the synchro-mesh clutch for estab-.

lishing either the intermediate speed drive or the high speed drive besides the neutral or disengaged position.

Slide-plate 20 is also provided with an inverted yoke portion 49 (see Fig. 6) the purpose of which is to receive the end of shifter-pin 50 and still allow its passage in the crosswise direction.

ditions of its operation. Similarly, slide-plate 2|,

adjacently to yoke portion 49, has a recess 52 forming a receptacle for said shifter-pin, which may likewise confine itself into it under other conditions of its operation.

Slide-plate 2|, unlike the other two slideplates, has no fork attached to it, and its function is not that of directly effecting any gear shifting. It has, however, a rack-portion 53 facing a similar rack-portion 54 of slide-plate 20, both racks being permanently engaged to gear 55. The latter mayturn upon a stationary pivot 56 imprisoned between the base-plate and the track-plate 23. Thus the slide-plates 20 and 2| will move at the same time but in opposite directions.

sent the various positions which the shifter-pin 50 may assume in the course of its operation,

and the symbols will signify: I, the low-speed position; N, the neutral; II, the ,intermediate-' speed, and III, the high-speed position. The symbol R is outside of the cut-out pattern and represents the position of the abutment 5| of slide-plate l9 when said plate is manually set for the reverse-speed. v The symbol III, which is 7 outside of the cut-out pattern, represents the position of the empty yoke-portion 49 of slideplate 20 after said slide-plate has been shifted ahead to the high speed position by the action of slide-plate 2| upon gear 55and as a result of said slide-plate 2| having been impelled by shifter-pin 50 to as rearmost position.

It is apparent then, that the two slide-plates l9 and 20 may assume positions exactly corresponding to the positions of the two fork-carriers, often called selector rods or selector plates used in standard manual H shifters. This is as it must be, if this invention is to be applicable to a standardgear-transmission. But while the two slide-plates i9 and 20, carrying the gear shifting forks, will move in the conventional way, their movement is the result of the mechanical transformation of the step-down or step-up movement of shifter-pin 50. Said shifter-pin delivers the mechanically transformed longitudinal movement of a, shifter-carrier plate soon to be described.

'The shifter-pin 50 (see Fig. 6) is rigidly secured to and carried by cross-slide 58, which is guided by two rails 59 and 60 riveted to the upper face of shifter-carrier 6|. In Fig. 2 these two rails, as well as the cross-slide, are indicated with dotted lines on account of their location being onto the top face of the shifter-carrier 6|,

Fig. 1 shows the base-plate I as provided with 3 since Fig. 2 is a view from-under looking upwards.

The shifter-carrier plate 5| is capable of longitudinal sliding motion within side-guides 52 and. 53 top-guide 54 of the cover 3, and rail 55, which is riveted to the upper face of base-plate 3. 5;

Notice that the pair of rails 59 and are riveted to the shifter-carrier plate 6| in an oblique fashion. This is in order to impart a crosswise thrust to the cross-slide 58 whenever the shiftercarrier plate 6| is moved along its longitudinal 10 track and an obstacle blocks a similar movement of the shifter-pin 50. mi oblong slot 66 is p vided on the shifter-carrier plate 5| in order to clear the movements of shifter-pin 50, as the latter must project through the shifter-carrier plate; and the cut-out pattern of the base-plate 3 to reach the receptacles or yoke portion of either slide-plates I9, and 2|. The shifter-pin 50 carries two rollers in line 61 and 68, which; will eliminate some of the friction-of the pingo against either the sides of ,slot 56 and the edges of the out-out pattern 51 of the base-plate.

As a result of the combined operation of the shifter-carrier plate moving longitudinally, the cross-slide plate with the shifter-pin moving crosswise, and the effect of the oblique rails of said cross-slide, and the boundary of movement established by the cut-out pattern of base-plate 3,.a stepping down motion will be produced on the shifter pin, causing the same to lodge its lower extremity successively into the receptacles and yoke-portion of the three slide-plates I9, 20' and 2|.

It is important at this point that I direct attention to the relationship of operation of the three slide-plates I9, 20 and 2|.

Figs. 10 to 15 illustrate the different positions assumed by the said three slide-plates when they effect different speeds within the transmission gearing. In these figures all parts associated to 4 the operation of said slide-plates which may obstruct their full view or otherwise tend to complicate the drawing, are'removed. The middle plate 20 is shown without the superimposed plate 41 and the fork 48, which are shown in 45,

Fig. 3. A clotted outline of the cut-out pattern 51 is indicated in all six figures that a direct relationship of the changing positions of the shifter-pin 50 in respect to the same pattern may be readily surveyed. 50

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show the operation of slideplate l9, while slide-plates 20 and 2| are held in the neutral'position. Figs. 13, 14 and 15 show instead the operation of the two slide-plates 20 and 2|, while the former*(plate I9) is held sta- 55 tionary in the neutral position.

Fig. 10 indicates the position of slide plate l9 as set for the reverse-speed. Notice that shifterpin 50 is left at the forward-most position of the cut-out pattern independently from the full backward displacement imparted to slide-plate l9 through the manual operation of the lever l4 and the link heading to stud-pin 28.

Fig. 11 indicates the position of slide-plate I9 as set for the low-speed. Shifter-pin 50 is still retained at its forward-most position, but slideplate I9 is also displaced as far ahead as possible, again through the operation of the manual lever H. An intermediate position to the above may beobtained manually for the neutral or disengagedcondition of the gears. Such position is similar to the one shown in Fig. 12, the only difference being that the shifter-pin 50 would be at itsforward-most position instead of being placed against the abutting projection of .slideplate. ll. As it is, Fig. 12 illustrates the same neutral position as caused by the automatic operation of 5. the mechanism. Assuming that the vehicle has been set in motion after the transmission was manually set for the low-speed as indicatedin Fig. 11, said vehicle will gradually acquire a certain momentum. The resulting increase in the rate 'of its -motion will develop a proportionate in- .crease in the output of impulse produced by the device used for such purpose. Said impulse will prompt the displacement in the rearward direction of shifter-pin 50, which abutting against the projection ii of slide-plate I! will cause said plate to shift over to the neutral position. The spring-and-ball latch 33, having in the meantime snapped the ball into notch II, will temporarily hold the slide-plate I! in the latter position. The same backward impulse which has caused the aforesaid movement of shifter-pin 50 and slide-plate is would still carry said membets further back, but the outline of the cut-out pattern I! interferes with said direction, therefore, shifter-pin 50 is carried sidewise in the direction of the arrow by the side thrust developed on account of the angle of the oblique rails 59 and 60 upon cross-slide 51. As a result, shiiter-pin BI is transferred from abutting recess slide-plate III as shown by the dotted circles of Fig. 12 and Fig. 3. The latter figure, in fact, illustrates all related parts in this particular position, namely, the neutral. Slide-plate has been held so far in said pomtion by its own spring-and-ball latch ,35, the ball being seated into notch 38. The vehicle is presently running on its own momentum, and the excessoi impulse applied upon shifter-pin 50, which caused the latters movement, has not yet spent itself since .the momentum oi' the vehicle keeps on producing it at about the same rate. The shifter-pin will thus be pressed against the outline of the cut-out pattern and its motion directed again towards the rear of the transmission, carrying slide-plate 20 another step, with it to the intermediate-speed positionas shown in Fig. 13. The safety lock will prevent at this juncture any movement of slideplate it due to the offset position assumed by.

the square notch 48 in respect to the lockingpiece Ii (see Fig. 3). At the same time that slide-plate Ill together with the shifter-pin 5|! has moved from the neutral to the intermediatespeed position, slide-plate 2| has moved counterwise on account of the racks and gear connectiOn setting its receptacle 52 in line with the yoke-portion 49. The intermediate speed position thus obtained will be maintained as long as the rate of impulse exercised upon shifter-pin 5| remains stationary. By raising the engine's motive power, the vehicle's speed will be increased, resulting in a still augmented impulseupon shifter-pin M. The latter, due to the restraining outline of the cut-out pattern 51 and the side thrust induced uponit by the oblique slide ll, will divert itsdirection again as pointed by the arrow, thus causing its position to be transferred over to receptacle 52, of slide-plate 2|. At this point, not being able to further move sidewise, it will resume its backward movement and carry slide-plate 2| to the position shown by Fig. 14. This position is neutral again because the backward movement of slideplate 2| has resulted in slide-plate 20 returning to it, due to the racks and gear connection between the ll of slide-plate ill to the yoke-portion 49 of two slide-plates. The vehicle is thus running again solely on its own momentum, but as such momentum wasbuilt up to develop an excess of impulse capable of still carrying the shifterpin further back, another backward movement 5- vehicle, the reverse sequence will occur, namely,

from the high-speed. position to neutral, followed by the intermediate-speed position and flnally the neutral again.

I do not recommend that the automatic return should go further to the low-speed because that would necessitate the introduction oi a synchromesh clutch for the low-speed gear within the transmission. An automobile hardly ever .needs to run on low-speed gear except when starting from a stationary condition. When starting, it

is necessary to set the low speed by manual means in order to develop the vehicle motion upon which the automatic transmission depends ior its operation. Furthermore, should the auto- 'matic on extend the automatic return to the low speed, and the vehicle should have to be subsequently stopped, a manual operation would be necessary to place the transmission in neutral position, or the main clutch would have to be disconnected by means of the foot lever. It is just as well then to let the transmission remain in the neutral position rather than cause it to go from the neutral position to 40 the first speed, then stop andsubsequently have to manually set the neutral position again. It is to this end that the recess forming the abutment II of slide-plate I0 is .open forwardly to let the shifter-pin free to step ahead independently of slide-plate ll remaining in the neutral position. With an automatic transmission of the type herein described, it is advisable to employ auxil-iary means with which to automatically reduce to minimum the amount of the carburated mixture admitted into the motor cylinders when the transmission shifting mechanism is going through the neutral or disengaged position.

In standard vehicles the operator does it by liftin the accelerator foot-lever. but with an automatic transmission he very likely would be taken unaware and the motor being suddenly relieved of the transmission load would at once surge into a loose race.

Between the carburator and the intake manifold of the'motor is interposed a short flanged tube 61 enclosing a butterfly shutter 08 (see Fig/ 4). This shutter when in the transverse position does not out 01f entirely the flow of carburated 65 mixture but curtails it to the point of barely maintaining the motor in motion; the full flow of mixture may be admitted to the motor by the shutter being swung open either one way or the other.

It is to be understood that this butterfly shutter 7 is extra to the shutter of the carburator proper, which will still be operated by pressing or lifting the accelerator lever. -It is evident that if the automatic shutter operated by the transmission is closed, the pressing of the accelerator lever will be I g 2,010,110 to'no avail, while when the automatic shutter is open, the accelerator will operate normally.

I Le ver 69 is attached to the outer extension of pin 10, the pin being keyed to the shutter. A cable or rod linkage connects the angular. movement in its interior with a needle eye slot 13. The part of rod H which is confined within sleeve 12 carries a collar 14} and retains expansion spring 15 between said collar and thewall of the transmission box.

An elbow lever-16 is movableupon a fulcrum 11 made of a rivet inserted into slide-plate I9. The

longer arm of lever 16 passes through the needle. eye slot 13 of rod H, and the shorter arm of the same lever is adapted to slide on the edge of plate 41, which is riveted to slide-plate 20. Said edge operates as a cam upon the elbow lever with either the movement of slide-plate I9 or slideplate 20, and the resultant oscillation of lever 16 will move rod H to either one of three positions: over toward the transmission box, at the opposite extreme point, or at an intermediate point.

. The latter position will correspond to the neutral or disengagedcondi'tion or the transmission, the other two positions to the different speeds. Through the linkage operating the butterflyshutter, the median position of the rod 1| will cause said butterfly-shutter to be in the horizontal curtailing position, and the extreme positions of rod 1| one way or the other, will cause the butterfly-shutter to be open.

The means for delivering the impulse effecting the longitudinal displacement of the shifter-carrie'r plate 6| is located under the extension 2 of the base-plate I. The shifter-carrier plate 6| (Fig. 2) is provided with an extended arm 18, which is prolonged into a vertical appendix 19. A clearing slot is cut in the base-plate I so that the vertical appendix 19 may reach into the compartment 8| of the cylinder block shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Figs. 7 and 8 show how said cylinder block may be bolted to the underface of the extension 2 of base-plate I, and the similar extension of the transmission cover. Holes 82, 83, 84 and 85 of the cover and of the base-plate will let the bolts through that will fasten into the threads of the corresponding holes of the cylinder block.

Fig. 7 illustrates the type of cylinder used and all subsidiary valves and other parts. The cylinder proper is at 86, and it contains a piston 81 made of one piece with the piston rod '88. The piston does not have to be fluid-tight, therefore, expansion ring are unnecessary. The front end of the cylinder is removable for the obvious necessity of boring the cylinder during construction, as well as for assembling necessity. The rear end of the cylinder lets the piston rod through to the adjacent compartment 8 I but is provided with a packing chamber 89 in which the packing material is compressed by screw 90 shown at Fig. 8.

The piston rod terminus is attached to the appendix 19 of the shifter-carrier plate. An expansion spring 9| is interposed between the piston and the rear end of the cylinder, this spring serving the purpose of returning the piston, the rod and the shifter-carrier plate to the forward position.

The fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder through inlet-port 92 by conduit 93, which is attached thereto with tight fitting nut 94.

Outlet port 96 lets the fluid into escape-conduit 96, which is provided with other ports 91, 96 and 99. These ports are accurately spaced along the cylinder in relation to the displacement of the piston at the diflerent speeds. 5

Port 95 is in line with the piston when the latter is at its iorwardmost position, that is, at

the transmission low speed; port 91 is in line with the piston when the latter is in the. position corresponding to the intermediate speed of the 10 transmission; port 98 is in line with the piston at the high speed of the transmission or rearmost position of the piston; port 99 is never reached by the piston and serves as an opening for the free circulation of the fluid.

Ports 95 and 91 are provided with adjusting" needles I00 and IN set into respective leak-proof fittings I02 and I03. By means of said needles the escape of fluid through ports 95 and 91 may be regulated so that the change of speeds into the transmission may take place at certain values of acceleration of the vehicle to suit individual preference, of course within reasonable limita-' v On the cylinder side opposite to port 98 is a 25 pressure valve I04, the function of which is to 1 supplement port 98 into discharging the excess pressure of the fluid at the higher speeds of the 1 vehicle. A general discharge opening I05 will lead the fluid into return conduit I06, the latter being attached to the cylinder by means of tight fitting nut I01. At the low pressure of the fluid, which corresponds to the low speed of the vehicle, piston 61 will not be displaced on account of enough fluid being able to escape at such low pressure 35 through outlet port 95 and the leakage around the piston. The fluid that runs into escape conduit 96 will join the leaked fluid behind the piston through ports 91, 98 and 99, thence to be discharged into return-conduit I06. 40

At a higher pressure of the fluid, corresponding to an increased speed of the vehicle, the fluid admitted into the cylinder will not all be able to escape through outlet port 95, and the piston leakage, therefore it will press the piston rear- 45 wardly against the tension of spring 9I until it will reach port 91 where the fluid pressure will balance the spring tension'as long as that pressure will not increase further. With a further increase of the speed of the vehicle, the fluid pres- 50 sure will proportionately increase, and the piston yielding to said pressure will uncover ports 98 and valve I04 where again the fluid pressure and the spring tension will balance each other. The piston cannot go any farther back as its span 55 of displacement terminates there. When the vehicle travels at high speed the fluid pressure which will automatically open as a result of said pressure reaching a critical point.

Return-conduit I06 leads the fluid to reservoir I08 shown by Fig. 9 admitting said fluid into the same at a point near its top. Such reservoir is placed in a location easily accessible to the 65 operator so that he may refill it with fluid from time to time. A cap I09 is removable for that purpose. A feed-conduit |I0 carries the fluid from the bottom of the reservoir to a gear-pump III, which will cause the fluid to circulate and 70 will give it the necessary pressure to operate the cylinder above described.

The location of this gear-pump is on the rear of the free-wheeling casing I I2 as shown in Fig.7. Part of easing II2, the bearings H3 and H4, 7

visible, the other gear being totally shielded fromview. The operative connection is made with a perpendicular shaft H1, a helical gear H8, and

a worm gear H9, the latter being in constant mesh with the helical 'gear and turning with the driven shaft of the transmission. The perpendicular shaft H1 is journalled within the two bearings H3 and H4 in such a fashion as to allow a certain axial play to'said shaft. A oneway coupling is provided at I20 between shaft H1 and the aligned hub I 2I of gear H6. This coupling causes the gear pump to operate when the vehicle is running in any forward speed, but when said vehicle is going in reverse speed the driven shaft of the transmission turns in the direction that will cause the worm gear H9 to lift the helical gear H8 by reason of the friction between the two and the free upward play allowed upon shaft H1. The coupling I20 will thus be disconnected, causing the gear-pump to remain idle instead of running the reverse way.

The connection of the conduits to the pump and to the reservoir are all made with tight fitting nuts as described for the connections to the cylinder.

- The casing H2 of the free-wheeling clutch has a cover I22 which holds in known manner the pivot of a swinging fork. Such fork is generally used to set the clutch for the eventual free-wheeling run or to cause the rigid coupling that will eliminate free-wheeling. Neither fork nor clutch are shown, but the pivot which is keyed to the swinging fork is brought outside of the cover in the form of a shaft that will make possible the operation of said fork by connecting it to a lever. The end of said shaft is at I23, and a lever I24 is rigidly secured thereto.

The cylinder block shown in the same figure is provided at its rear end with a double bracket I25. A rocker lever I26 has its fulcrum-pin I21 set in said bracket, and the shorter arm of said rockerlever engages the swinging extremity of lever I24 within an indentation I28. The longer arm of rocker-lever I26 has about midway of its length an oblong slot I29. This slot serves the purpose of loosely holding pin I30, thus connecting pushrod I3I to the movements of rocker -lever I26. Push-rod I3I passes through a packing nut I32 into compartment 6| of the cylinder block and operates back and forth the wedge shaped piece I33. The inclined surface of this piece is in contact with a similarly inclined surface of anchoring member I34. The latter covers all the length of compartment 8|, therefore it can only move ver tically as the wedge-piece slides horizontally.

- Resilient spring I35 and I36 will cause a sure drop of the anchoring piece as soon as the wedgepiece is drawn backwards.

When the anchoring'piece I34 is lifted one of the four notches I31, I38, I39 or I40 will catch upon the lower tip of the shifter-carrier appendix 19, and as long as it is held lifted, the speed ratio of the transmission which has thus been caused to be locked will be maintained regardless of the intervening changes in the speed condition of the vehicle. Said four notches correspond respectively to the low speed, the neutral, theintermediate speed and the high speed positions of the transmission.

Now, assuming that the vehicle is running at high speed and is about to descend a steep grade, the operator may choose to couple the freewheeling which will result also in locking the high speed ratio; The operation is simply that of manipulating a handle or pulling a knob on the dash-board, which by a cable or rod connection, will cause rocker lever I26 to swing forward.

If the operator wishes,.to descend the steep 5 gradein intermediate speed, he will slow down the car by applying the wheel-brakes just enough for the transmission to setitself into intermediate speed, then he will proceed to set the transmission lock and the rigid coupling of the free- 10 wheeling clutch.

If he wishes to make the descent in low speed, he may still further slow down the vehicle, set the transmission in low speed by using the manual lever I4, then look transmission and free- 15 wheeling.

The notch I38 for the neutral position is useful for locking the transmission shifting mechanism when the transmission is set in the reverse speed, which operation takes place automatically 20 due to the standard method of connecting the shifting movement of the reverse gear to the movement ofthe means for coupling the freewheeling clutch.

Having thus completed my description, I claim as my invention:

1. In a geartransmission, a shifting mecha-- nism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a baseplate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern restraining the movements of the shifter-pin; forkcarrying members slidably supported by said baseplate; slidable members similarly supported by a said base-plate moving counterwise to the adjacent fork-supporting member .due to a reversing connection employed thereto; and a catch for 35 each slidable member upon which the universalpin will engage for the successive operation of the same slidable member...

2. In a gear transmission a shifting mechanism comprising two plates adapted to slide in the crosswise direction respective to each other; a shifter-pin secured to one of said sliding plates; a base-plate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern restraining the movements of the shifter-pin; slidable members supported by said base-plate carrying the shifting forks for effecting the different speed connections within the transmission; a slidable member similarly supported moving counterwise to the adjacent fork-carrying member through a reversing connection; and a receptacle for each slidable member adapted to catch the shifter-pin as the latter successively operates the same slidable members.

3. In a gear-transmission a shifting mechanism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a baseplate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern restraining said shifter-pin to a step-down or step-up movement; threeslidable plates supported by said base-plate, two of which carry the shifting forks, and the other is operatively connected to one of .the former through reversing means whereby the H movement of the first two plates is converted into a step-down or step-up movement for the three plates as they are operated in succession by the aforesaid universal shifter-pin. 6 4. In a gear transmission a shifting mechanism comprising a primary slide-plate carrying a secondary plate adapted to slide in an oblique crosswise direction; a shifter-pin secured to the secondary slide-plate; a base-plate having a zigzag cut-out pattern restraining the movements of the shifter-pin; fork carrying members operated by the said shifter-pin and slidably supported by said base-plate; and an extra slidable member similarly operated by said shifter-pin and means to automatically operate said sliding 2,015,116 I and supported bysaid base-plate, the function and one of the two fork-carrying plates; a depression for each slidable plate adapted to lodge intermittently a shifter-pin guided by the zig-zag cut-out pattern; an oblique cross-slidebase for said shifter-pin; a main sliding carrier-plate supporting said oblique cross-slide base, and means to operate said sliding carrier-plate in one direction or the opposite.

6= In a gear transmission a shifting mechanism comprising a multiple-slide universal shifter, a base-plate having a zig-'zag cut-out pattern for restraining the movements of the universal shifter to a step-down or step-up displacement; three parallel slidable plates supported by said base-plate, of which the first two slidable-plates carry the shifting forks effecting the different speed connections, and the third slidable-plate is operatively connected to the second plate by means of racks and gear whereby the return movement of the second plate occasioned by the high-speed connection of the transmission is obtained by the operation of the universal shifter upon the third slidable-plate without reversing the direction of said shifter.

'7. In a gear transmission an automatic shifting mechanism comprising a base-plate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern; three slidable plates supported by said base-plate; a shifting fork at-' tached to each of two of the said slidable-plates; a reversing connection between the third slidableplate and one of the two fork-carrying plates; a shifter-pin guided within the zig-zag cut-out pattern, and successively operating said three slidable-plates; an oblique cross-slide base to which said shifter-pin is secured; a main sliding carrierplate supporting said oblique cross-slide base,

carrier-plate in one direction or the opposite, according to the increase or decrease of the speed of the driven vehicle.

8. In a gear transmission an automatic shifting mechanism comprising a master slide-plate carrying a secondary plate adapted to slide in an oblique crosswise direction; a shifter-pin secured to the secondary slide-plate; a base -plate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern designed to restrain the movements of the shifter-pin; fork-carrying members operated by the said shifter-pin and slidably supported by said base-plate side by side of each other; anextra slidable member similarly operated by said shifterepin and supported by said base-plate, the function of which is to reverse the movement of the adjacent fork-carrying member through a connection of racks-- movement; three slidable members supported by said base'-plate,'two of which carry the shifting forks for setting the different speeds in the transmission, and the other is operatively connected v to one of the former through reversing means whereby the H movement of the first two slidable members is converted into a step-down or step-up movement for the three members as they are operated in succession by the aforesaid shifterpin; and means to automatically displace the 10 above-named master slide-plate in one direction or the opposite, according to the increase or decrease of the speed of the driven vehicle.-

10. In axgear transmission a lockable automatic shifting mechanism comprising a base- 1 plate having a zig-zag cut-out pattern; three slidable plates supported by said base-plate; a shifting fork attached to each of two of the said slidable plates; a reversing connection between the thirdslidable plate and one of thetwo forkcarrying plates; 'a universal shifter-pin guided within the zig-zag cut-out pattern and successively operating said three slidable plates; means to automatically operate said universal shifterpin one way or the other within the zig-zag pattern in relation to the increase or decrease of the speed of the driven vehicle; and locking means with which to cause the shifting mechanism to retain any one of the transmission speeds in indefinite operation coincidentally to the rigid coupling of the free-wheeling clutch of the same transmission.

11. In a gear transmission, a shifting mechanism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a baseplate having a. zig-zag cut-out pattern restraining the movements'of the shifter-pin; fork carrying members slidably supported by said baseplate; slidable members similarly supported by said base-plate moving counterwise to the adjacent fork-supporting member due to areverslng 40 connection employed thereto; a catch for each slidable member upon which the universal-pin will engage for the successive operation of the same slidable members; and a butterfly-shutter located within the gas intake manifold of the motor linked to the movement of the said forkcarrying members for automatically reducing to minimum the speed of the motor when the transmission is passing through the neutral condition.

12. In a gear transmission, a shifting mechanism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a zigzag guide for said shifter-pin; fork carrying members eifecting the speed connections; means simultaneously moving counterwise to the move- 'ment of the adjacent fork carrying member; and 5 a catch for each of said fork carrying and counter moving means upon which the universal shifter-pin will successively engage. 13. In a gear transmission, an automatic shifting mechanism comprising a universal shifterpin; a z'ig-zag guide for said shifter-pin; fork carrying members effectingthe speed connections; other members associated therewith reversing the movement of the adjacent fork carrying member; a catch for each of said forkcarrying and associated members upon which the universal shifter-pin will successively engage; I and means to produce an impulse effecting the displacement of said shifter-pin, said impulse to be relative to the speed of the vehicle. '70

14. In a gear transmission, a lockable automatic shifting mechanism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a zig-zag guide for said shifter-pin; fork carrying members eifecting the speed connections; means simultaneously moving counter- 76 nism comprising a universal shifter-pin; a zigzag guide for said shifter-pin; fork carryinz members eflecting the speed connections; means simultaneously moving counterwise to the movement of the adjacent fork carrying member; a catch for each of said fork carrying members and counter moving means upon which the universal shifter-pin will successively engage; and means operatively related to the changing of said speed connections for throttling the motor during the 10 transition upon the neutral condition of the said transmission.

ALDO LAZZARINI. 

